A winter resident that I seldom get to see. This morning though, as I was about to do the breakfast dishes I spied it taking a splish-splash in the birdbath.
A tiny puff of feathers, Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), the smallest wren in North America. And know how chattery the Carolina Wren is? The Winter Wren has much more to say.
What a pure treat to see it this morning!
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The leaves here on the mountain are setting their sights on winter. They’re slowly turning from their many shades of green to warmer colors – yellow, orange, red, purple. Giving way to green chlorophyll pigments breaking down which allows other pigments to show through.
This tree is one of the first to show color in the autumn, a native to eastern North America, Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica). A mostly dioecious tree (meaning each tree produces only female or only male flowers), the female trees have blue-black bloomed drupes or berries which are very popular with migrating birds.
I thoroughly enjoy the leaf colors that these trees produce, mostly brilliant crimson.
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Almost Halloween and the Jack O’Lantern Mushrooms (Omphalotus olearius) are making their presence known. The perfect orange color to go with the name.
Found growing on decaying stumps and buried roots. These mushrooms have a reputation for being luminescent. In order to see the very faint glow you must have your eyes totally accustomed to the dark and you’ll see a faint green glow.
A poisonous mushroom.
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Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), in autumn, creates beautiful patches of scarlet in the woods. Native to eastern and central North America.
And in autumn along with those scarlet leaves you’ll find its deep blue berries (drupes) which support oodles of species of birds through the winter.
Those that might want to bring Virginia Creeper into their yard, growing it in their gardens, will find that it will soon overpopulate those gardens. In the wild though, I’m quite glad to see it — decorating as it grows.
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A note to me: next year, plant more Sunflowers. You need to see more butterflies.
I’m hoping I’ll get the message, and act on it.
The top photo: Monarch at Sunflower (Helianthus annuus). And this: A Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) visiting a Tithonia (Tithonia rotundifolia).
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Out, taking in all the beauty of what was once summer, becoming autumn. Some warm colors but still mostly greens. Pale soft lavender-blue catches my eye. Puffs of Blue Wood Asters (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) reaching out to the sunlight.
Snapping photos with every step. And there in one of the pictures a surprise. I didn’t even know it was there as I was clicking away. A Leaf Cutting Bee (Megachilidae). These are the bees that cut circles or ovals from leaves, making interesting patterns. They use these leaf cuttings to seal off the cells of their nests, helping to prevent the larva’s food supply from drying out.
A little critter. Smaller than a Honey Bee.
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A favorite of mine, Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), which I came upon while my camera and I were out this morning.
There are about 75 species of Goldenrod (Solidago) native to the United States and over 40 species that are native to Virginia.
Like many other plants in your garden you should leave the seed heads in place to feed wildlife over the winter.
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An early visitor. At about 8 o’clock this morning this Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) came by looking for a bite to eat. It’s not particular about what a meal might be. A bird that is about the size of a Robin or Crow looks for berries and small fruits, nuts and seeds, and quite popular – acorns. It will also consume various insects, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, true bugs, spiders, worms, snails, crayfish, lizards and frogs to name just a few.
The Brown Thrasher is in the family, Mimidae, the same family as the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). These birds, all three of them, are quite talented with their vast repertoire of songs they can sing, also calls of frogs, and mechanical sounds.
Such talent!
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My Lego Sunflowers in front of one of my paintings.
After all, playtime is very important.
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The remains of Hurricane Helene came through with her wind and rain, leaving many branches and some trees down on the mountain. Nothing serious thank goodness and how nice to have neighbors that travel with a chain saw in their truck. Many of those branches and trees were taken care of before it was even known that the road was blocked.
This picture is of American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) branches that came down during the event. Loaded with many Persimmons just waiting to be discovered by the Black Bears (Ursus americanus) around here that love those fruits to gobble down.
There’s a pile of bear scat on our lane as a testament to their consumption.
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